When Such Hate Is Expressed At A Major University, How Long Will It Take Before It Is Adopted By The Rioters And Protesters?

COLUMBIA PROF. SAYS ISRAEL ADVOCATES WILL 'INFEST' TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

BYDANIEL J. ROTH

 19 JANUARY 2017 17:14

For some in the Jewish community, "infest" posses an antisemitic connotation that hearkens back to the Nazi era, when Jews were described as "rats" or "vermin."

Columbia University Professor Rashid Khalidi. (photo credit:YOUTUBE SCREENSHOT)

A pro-Palestinian professor created controversy on Thursday after
 commenting that under the incoming Trump administration, advocates
 for Israel would come to "infest" the United States government.

During an interview with Chicago public radio station WBEZ, Columbia
 University Professor of Modern Arab Studies Rashid Khalidi surmised
 that supporters of Israel would have greater influence on incoming US
President Donald Trump, which would impose a new "vision" of the
Middle East disproportionately favoring the Israeli government.

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"So they have a vision whereby the occupied territories aren’t occupied,
they have a vision whereby there is no such thing as the Palestinians, they
 have a vision whereby international law doesn’t exist, they have a vision
whereby the United States can unilaterally cancel a decision in the United Nations," Khalidi said.

"And unfortunately, these people infest the Trump transition team, these
people are going to infest our government as of January 20. And they are
 hand in glove with a similar group of people in the Israeli government
and Israeli political life who think that whatever they think can be imposed
on reality," he added.

For some in the Jewish community, "infest" possesses an antisemitic 
connotation that hearkens back to the Nazi era, when Jews were 
described as "rats" or "vermin."

Khalidi, who has previously campaigned on behalf of the Boycott,
 Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), has been credited as a
spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Beirut in the
1970's and 1980's, when Israel and the US considered the group a terrorist
 organization.

Khalidi, however, has denied ever working for the PLO, stating that he
 "often spoke to journalists in Beirut, who usually cited me without
attribution as a well-informed Palestinian source," according to The 
Washington Times. 

Last year, the Ivy league educator circled a petition demanding that
 Columbia University immediately divest from Israel, garnering the
 signatures of at least 40 colleagues, according to online publication
The Tower.

Columbia University said in response for comment that “Faculty have
 freedom to speak out on public issues. No one, however, represents
 the university when doing so.”

Professor Khalidi was not available for comment at the time of
publication of this article.